Oct 10, 2017

City and Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 50 Ratify Four Year Collective Agreement

VICTORIA, BC – The City of Victoria and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 50 have ratified a new four-year collective agreement for the period of January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020.

Terms of the agreement include wage increases of 1.5 per cent in the first year and 2 per cent in each of the following three years. There are also improvements in pay and benefits specific to auxiliary workers, and new provisions that will see the City and CUPE forge partnerships with local educational and trades training institutions to support co-op work placements and apprenticeships.

The general wage increases are consistent with negotiated settlements in other B.C. municipalities covering the same time period, including White Rock, Squamish, Vancouver and the Comox Valley Regional District.

The new agreement represents the first independently-negotiated collective agreement between the City and CUPE Local 50 in more than 40 years. It was ratified by CUPE Local 50 on September 27 and by the City of Victoria late yesterday afternoon. The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents the City’s largest union with close to 850 members.

“The ability to negotiate directly with our workers has resulted in a collective agreement in line with others across the province, new opportunities for students and apprentices, and an unprecedented four-year agreement,” said Mayor Helps. “I’d like to thank union leaders and management for their hard work together in reaching this collective agreement.”

“We are pleased to have concluded this round of respectful bargaining,” said CUPE 50 President John Burrows. “Negotiating directly with the City allowed us to have clear discussion about issues our members are facing, which better enabled us to negotiate an agreement that not only benefits city workers but also helps improve community services. We look forward to continuing to partner with the City to deliver quality public services to Victoria residents and businesses.”